A subway station entrance in Manhattan.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Hello and welcome to the newly updated NYC weekly roundup.
We've got all the important stories and cool events from across the city, a look back at the abstract 9th Street Art Exhibition from 1951 as well as the latest COVID-19 vaccine stats and upcoming weather.
It's Friday, May 21, and here's what you need to know.
This week in news
City-wide news
- New York launches $5 million 'Vax & Scratch' lottery to boost COVID-19 vaccinations
- 250 NYPD officers added to subway patrol as New Yorkers express concern over increase in violence
- NYC protesters demand Palestinian liberation in largest demonstrations since 2020
- MTA resumes 24/7 subway service on Monday
- NYC Pride bans NYPD officers from marching in parade
- City Council passes bill to limit the use of plastic straws at NYC eateries
In Brooklyn
- Repeat offender: Brooklyn police officer arrested for third time in four years
- Over 54,000 Brooklyn homeowners may be eligible for $300 tax rebate
- Brooklyn pandemic relief fraudsters stole millions in unemployment benefits
- Brooklyn doctor who pushed pills pleads guilty to distributing narcotics
- Rat infestation at Brooklyn NYCHA building
- Who's running for City Council in Brooklyn: District 38
- Who's running for City Council in Brooklyn: District 37
- City to invest $31 million in Brooklyn parks, including new park in Williamsburg
- Brooklyn landlord who swapped heat for space heaters charged for fire death of tenant
- Brooklyn mosque vandalized with anti-Palestinian graffiti
- Brooklyn man sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding ISIS and encouraging subway attacks
In Manhattan
- Reform Jews picket Union for Reform Judaism headquarters to demand action against Israeli violence
- NYC’s newest park Little Island opens on the Hudson River
- Anonymous opera singers give astounding performance on NYC subway
- Monica and Rachel's 'Friends' New York City apartment is available to experience on Booking.com
- NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force investigating brutal biting of Asian American man in Manhattan
- New York City's construction sector 'struggling' after losing 74,000 jobs during COVID-19 pandemic
- NYPD officers hailed as heroes after rescuing man who fell onto subway tracks as train approached
- Bryant Park Lawn reopens as warmer weather sets in
In the Bronx
- Bronx Zoo to serve as COVID-19 vaccination site through June 30
- NYPD: 18-year-old in custody, facing multiple charges linked to Claremont Park shooting
- NYC Parks commissioner, local leaders celebrate revamp of Parkchester park
- Bronx drivers lose parking spots, have cars towed due to incoming bike lanes along Southern Boulevard
- Police seeking man who assaulted woman in the Bronx after meeting online
- Police investigating drive-by shooting that injured 2 teens in the Bronx
- 2 NYPD officers taken to hospital after driving into a pole in the Bronx
- Bronx man loses access to NYC park despite cleaning, revamping park himself
- NYPD seeking three men who pretended to be police officers, robbed Bronx home at gunpoint
- Man faces multiple charges after pretending to be cab driver in the Bronx
- Metro-North service to expand in the Bronx, four new stations to be installed in borough
In Queens
- 3 injured, including father and son, in Queens shooting
- NYPD seeking men who robbed, shot man in Queens mall parking garage
- Man arrested after allegedly chasing MTA conductor with razor blade
- Man arrested at JFK for stealing $350,000 in unemployment benefits
- Man shot to death inside vehicle in Queens
- Mayor De Blasio announces Queens Boulevard enhancement project to start in July, end in November
COVID-19 updates
According to the state's coronavirus vaccine tracker, as of Friday at 11 a.m., here are the vax facts for New York City:
New York County
- 854,386 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,002,242 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 61.5% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 70.0% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 1,628,701 Total County Population
Kings County
- 918,742 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,123,458 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 43.5% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 55.2% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 2,582,830 Total County Population
Bronx County
- 463,407 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 574,132 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 40.1% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 52.2% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 1,432,132 Total County Population
Queens County
- 1,012,106 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,249,327 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 54.8% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 67.2% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 2,278,906 Total County Population
Richmond County
- 188,405 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 222,138 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 46.7% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 58.4% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 476,179 Total County Population
Follow the News Break New York City coronavirus feed here for up-to-the-minute COVID-19 news and follow the News Break New York City vaccines feed here for the latest on vaccines.
Weekend events
- Black Menswear Flash Mob: Show up Saturday at 10 a.m. near Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway in your finest suit to help "[change] the narrative" about who Black men are and what they're capable of. A suit is required, but a tie is optional.
- Affordable Art Fair NYC: Head to the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea (125 West 18th Street) this weekend for local art ranging from $100 to $10,000. You must register to attend at a specific time and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or proof of full vaccination to gain entry.
- Solare Day Party 2021: Head to Loft172 in Brooklyn (172 Classon Avenue) on Sunday at 3 p.m. for a chance to get your dance on to reggae, soca and dancehall music while the sun's still out. The event is BYOB and you must purchase a ticket to attend. Adults only.
- Greenpoint Terminal Market: Nothing beats outdoor markets over the summer! Greenpoint Terminal Market is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2 Noble Street in Brooklyn. The market always features a mix of new programming and a ton of local small businesses and craftspeople. Masks are required.
- Queens Botanical Garden: While you can pay and head to the Queens Botanical Garden any time during their hours, if you want to go for free, head there on Sunday between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. with your registered ticket for free entry. Masks and social distancing are required.
- The Gift Hunt by nate: Nate, a mobile shopping assistant company, will set up a gift hunt through Lower Manhattan on Saturday, with a grand prize of $10,000. You can register for a timed slot on the half hour between 12:00 p.m. and 5 p.m. and find all kinds of gifts and surprises along the hunt route.
- Queens Drive-In: Blade Runner: The Final Cut: Head to the Queens Drive-In on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., when doors open, to see the final cut of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," starring Harrison Ford. The film, adapted from the Philip K. Dick story, is rated R. One ticket admits one car with up to five people, and tickets start at $35 plus a small fee.
- Urban Farm volunteering: Head to Randall's Island at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays to volunteer at the Randall's Island Urban Farm (11 Wards Meadow Loop). Staff will give you tasks and tools to keep the farm in tip-top shape, including weeding, planting, mulching and more.
- Aunt Jake's Pasta Making Class: Any time is a good time to learn how to make pasta. Aunt Jake's at 133 Mulberry Street will show you all the ropes in a pasta-making course with its executive pasta chef. Tickets are $40 and include an hour-long class, a family-style meal and fresh pasta to take home and cook yourself. The class runs Saturdays and Sundays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. and a ticket is required.
Bookmark this link here to follow events happening all over the city.
Today in history
An abstract painting of US painter Mark Rothko at an exhibition at the Munich Kunsthalle on February 7, 2008 in Munich, Germany.(Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
May 21, 1951, marked the opening of the 9th Street Art Exhibition, later understood to be a watershed moment in the history of American Abstract Expressionism.
This show featured dozens of then-unknown artists who would go on to become bona fide heavyweights in the American art scene, such as Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollack, Milton Resnick, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko and more.
One of Mark Rothko's paintings appears in the above photo.
Read more on the 9th Street Exhibition from Artland here.
The next seven days of weather:
Saturday, May 22:
- High: 90°
- Low: 69°
- Cloudy
- Rain: 9%
- Wind: WNW 8 mph
Sunday, May 23:
- High: 90°
- Low: 61°
- Mostly sunny
- Rain: 7%
- Wind: NW 12 mph
Monday, May 24:
- High: 65°
- Low: 56°
- Mostly cloudy
- Rain: 5%
- Wind: ESE 10 mph
Tuesday, May 25:
- High: 72°
- Low: 66°
- Mostly cloudy
- Rain: 6%
- Wind: S 10 mph
Wednesday, May 26:
- High: 90°
- Low: 69°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 23%
- Wind: SW 10 mph
Thursday, May 27:
- High: 83°
- Low: 61°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 20%
- Wind: NW 7 mph
Friday, May 28:
- High: 83°
- Low: 61°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 20%
- Wind: NW 7 mph